6 Best Hill Stations in West Bengal

At a distance of 65 km from Siliguri, 98 km from Gangtok, 109 km from Jalpaiguri, 371 km from Manipur, 502 km from Guwahati, 503 km from Patna and 507 km from Kolkata, Darjeeling is a charming hill station located in the Shivalik hills of the lower Himalayas in West Bengal, India. Situated at an altitude of 6,700 feet, Darjeeling is one of the most popular tourist places in West Bengal and among the must include places in your honeymoon tour packages.

The name Darjeeling comes from two Tibetan words 'Dorje', meaning thunderbolt and 'ling', means a place or land. Before being invaded by the Gorkhas of Nepal in the 1790s, Darjeeling was largely under the Kingdom of Sikkim and native tribes named Lepchas were the original inhabitants of the place. Under the Sugauli Treaty of 1815 CE, Nepal yielded one-third of their lands to the British, who established Darjeeling as the summer capital of Bengal Presidency. During 19th century AD, they set up a sanatorium and a military depot in Darjeeling. Later, extensive tea plantations were established in the region by the British. After independence, in 1947, Darjeeling was merged with West Bengal.

Amidst the backdrop of the mighty snow-clad Himalayan peaks, Darjeeling is famous for its tea plantations, spectacular views of snow-capped peaks and Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. The majestic Kanchenjunga, third highest mountain in ...

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At a distance of 51 km from Darjeeling, 58 km from Namchi, 66 km from Siliguri, 72 km from New Jalpaiguri, 74 km from Gangtok, 89 km from Pelling, 358 km from Darbhanga, 445 km from Muzzafarpur, 490 km from Guwahati and 620 km from Kolkata, Kalimpong is a charming hill station in the Indian state of West Bengal. Placed at the foothills of Shivalik ranges, Kalimpong is the headquarters of Kalimpong district and among the most popular tourist destinations in West Bengal.

Perched at an altitude of 1250 m, Kalimpong is located in the northern part of the state of West Bengal close to the Bhutan - Tibet - Sikkim border. Kalimpong was an important trading center in earlier days, when the trade routes between Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim were very much active. It was known as the silk route connecting Lhasa in Tibet with the rest of the subcontinent.

According to history, the area around Kalimpong was ruled by the Sikkimese Kings and was known as Dalingkot. In 1706, the Bhutan Empire took over the town and renamed it as Kalimpong. After the Anglo-Bhutan War in 1864, the Treaty of Sinchula was signed in which Bhutanese held territory east of the Teesta River was ceded to the British East India Company and merged into the present Indian state of West Bengal. After India's independence, Kalimpong became a subdivision of Darjeeling district and formed as a separate district in 2017.

Sits on a ridge overlooking the Teesta River, ...

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At a distance of 21 km from Kalimpong, 21 km from Lava, 70 km from Darjeeling, 73 km from Gangtok, 86 km from Siliguri, 488 km from Guwahati and 640 km from Kolkata, Pedong is a small picturesque hill town in Kalimpong district of West Bengal. Situated on a ridge and surrounded by pine forests, it is one of the great places to visit near Kalimpong.

Positioned at an altitude of 3,970 feet, Pedong lies between Lava and Kalimpong. The town, which is located on a ridge, commands a panoramic view of the Kanchenjunga and the surrounding mountains. Pedong gets its name from a 200 years old Pine Tree which is located at the heart of the town. In Bhutanese language 'Pe' means Pine and 'Dong' stands for Tree, i.e. Place of Pine Trees. The town is divided into two parts, Upper Pedong and Lower Pedong.

Pedong is one of the oldest towns in this region with significant historical importance. The town used to be a major transit hub on the ancient silk route that connects India to Lhasa via the Jelep La Pass. Today the same route has become common tourist attraction. Pedong witnessed the long standing dispute between Lepchas and Bhutias. After Anglo - Bhutanese war in 1865 CE, British took control over Pedong.

Pedong is blessed with abundant natural beauty and is a good place to relax for a few days amidst nature. Pine forests, lush green valleys and over viewing of Mt. Kanchenjunga and Mt. Siniolchu make beautification to this place. Nathula and Jelep La Pass are closely ...

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At a distance of 21 km from Pedong, 30 km from Kalimpong, 80 km from Darjeeling, 82 km from Namchi, 87 km from Gangtok, 118 km from Pelling, 467 km from Guwahati and 650 km from Kolkata, Lava is a small hill town located in Kalimpong district of West Bengal. It is one of the popular tourist destinations near Kalimpong and among the pristine places in West Bengal.

Situated at an altitude of 7,016 feet, Lava is surrounded by dense forests of Berch, Pine, Fir and Juniper trees. It is one of the few places in West Bengal that sees snowfall in the winters. Untouched by modernity, Lava is the entry point to the Neora Valley National Park, an unexplored terrain in the Himalayas. The route to Lava is scenic with the change in vegetation from tropical deciduous to the wet alpine trees. Lava is known for the magnificent view of Mount Kanchenjunga.

Lava is well renowned for its natural beauty and it attracts large number of nature enthusiasts and adventure buffs. Lava Monastery or Kagyu Thekchen Ling Monastery is one of the main attraction of Lava, located closed to Lava local market. Built in Tibetan style of architecture, the monastery is serene and beautiful. Spread in 4 acres of land, it is home to hundreds of monks. Besides, Changey Falls, Neora valley National Park, Tiffin Dara View Point, and Nature Interpretation Center are the other popular places to visit in Lava.

Lava is said to be a haven for bird watchers and ...

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At a distance of 35 km from Kurseong, 44 km from Darjeeling, 50 km from Siliguri, 100 km from Kalimpong, 130 km from Pelling, 147 km from Gangtok, 517 km from Guwahati and 591 km from Kolkata, Mirik is a small hill town located in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Situated at an altitude of 4,905 feet, Mirik is one of the popular tourist places in West Bengal and among the best places to visit near Darjeeling.

Nestled in the serene hills of Darjeeling district, Mirik is known for its pleasant climate, natural beauty and easy accessibility. The name Mirik comes from two Lepcha words Mir-Yok which means 'place burnt by fire'. The town is dominated by the large Sumendu Lake or Mirik Lake. The southern part of the lake is the tourist town where almost all the hotels are located while the northern part of the lake is more local and in the Northernmost fringe is the crowded Mirik market.

Like Darjeeling, Mirik also used to be a favourite place for the British in India. The open field on the eastern bank of the Mirik Lake was used as a polo field by the British. In 1969, the West Bengal tourism department began the process of acquiring 335 acres of land from the neighbouring Thurbo tea estate. The work of developing this land into a tourist spot began in 1974 when Siddhartha Shankar Ray was the chief minister of West Bengal. The tourist spot, which included the newly built lake and the Day Centre, was inaugurated by ...

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At a distance of 30 km from Pedong, Aritar is a tiny hill town situated in Rongli Sub-Division of East Sikkim district. Known for its natural and landscaped beauty, Aritar is situated on the old silk route and is among the popular places to visit near Pedong.

Isolated from the rest Sikkim, Aritar is characterized by lush green forests, sweeping hills of paddy fields and placid lakes. Lampokhari Lake and Kali Khola Falls are the two interesting places to visit in Aritar. Also known as Aritar Lake, Lampokhari Lake is one of the oldest lakes in Sikkim. It is a boot shaped lake where Pedal boating is the popular activity. At an altitude of 4600 feet, it is the only lake with boating facility in Sikkim. One can also visit a small shrine on the banks of the lake dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava.

Also known as Kuikhola falls and Lonely falls, Kali Khola is a natural spring originated from the foothills of the Himalayas. Falling down from a height of 100 m, the waterfall is blessed with immense natural beauty which makes it one of the most attractive waterfalls in this region. The spectacular view of its crystal clear water, crackling from the lush green hills and falling over the rugged pieces of mountains allures large number of tourists.

Mankhim Rai Temple is also known as Mankhim Dara and Maney Dara, is a famous temple in Aritar belonging to the Rai sect of Hindu origin. The most popular attraction of this temple is the celebration of Sakewa Puja, which starts ...

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